The effort, which is the first time officials have tried to nudge beneficiaries away from specific private drug and medical plans, reflects the agency's increasing focus on quality ratings. CMS forbade one of the 26 plans from enrolling new members in October, and similar actions for other low-rated plans are expected.

The letters, sent out over the past week, tell the beneficiary, by name, that his or her plan has been listed as “poor” or “below average" since for three years running, it earned fewer than three stars under Medicare's five-star rating system.

A Florida nursing home fired one of its nursing assistants earlier this month after she used social media to call for help for the facility in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, according to local reports.

Voicemails from the Hollywood, FL, skilled nursing facility where several residents died following Hurricane Irma were deleted by Gov. Rick Scott (R), potentially complicating the ongoing investigation into the incident.